Younger women who experience chronic stress may have a higher risk of stroke, according to a new study published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
While the research does not prove that stress directly causes stroke, it does show a strong connection between high stress levels and stroke risk in younger female participants.
The study, led by Dr. Nicolas Martinez-Majander from Helsinki University Hospital in Finland, focused on adults between the ages of 18 and 49 who had suffered an ischemic stroke. An ischemic stroke happens when a blood vessel supplying the brain becomes blocked, which can result in speech problems, weakness, vision loss, or even death.
Researchers studied 426 people who had experienced this kind of stroke with no clear cause. They were compared to another 426 people of the same age and sex who had not had a stroke.
All participants completed a survey about their stress levels over a one-month period. Those who had a stroke were asked to reflect on their stress levels in the month leading up to their stroke.
The questionnaire included ten questions, such as “In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?” Answers were scored from zero (never) to four (very often). Based on the total score, stress levels were grouped as low (0–13), moderate (14–26), or high (27–40).
The results showed that those who had strokes were more likely to have moderate or high stress. Nearly half (46%) of stroke patients reported moderate or high stress, compared to 33% of those who had not had a stroke. On average, stroke patients had a stress score of 13, while the group without strokes had a score of 10.
After accounting for other factors like education, alcohol use, and blood pressure, the researchers found that women with moderate stress had a 78% higher risk of stroke compared to women with low stress. Interestingly, women with high stress had only a 6% increased risk. For men, no clear connection between stress and stroke was found.
Dr. Martinez-Majander explained, “Younger adults often face pressure from work, finances, and life demands. Our findings suggest that this chronic stress may be more harmful to younger women than men, at least when it comes to stroke risk.”
It is not yet clear why women with moderate stress had a higher stroke risk than those with high stress, or why the link was seen only in women. The researchers say more studies are needed to explore these questions and to better understand how stress affects stroke risk.
A possible limitation of the study is that people experiencing high levels of stress may have been less likely to participate, which could influence the results.
This research was funded by the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District, the Academy of Finland, The Finnish Medical Foundation, The Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
If you care about stroke, please read research about Stronger high blood pressure treatment may help prevent stroke in older people and findings of Stroke death risk increases again after falling for 40 years.
For more information about stroke, please read research about Research finds a better high blood pressure treatment for stroke patients and findings of Scientists find a better drug than statins for stroke patients.
The study is published in Neurology.
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